


This Is The Fic Where You Fight Copia

by HelTheBimboy



Series: Fighting Cardinal Copia [2]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Bullying, Cell Phones, Multi, Phone Calls & Telephones, Play Fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27504415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelTheBimboy/pseuds/HelTheBimboy
Summary: You fight Cardinal Copia and do not win. Because you are not me and I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia. But there's a twist!!!!
Relationships: Cardinal Copia/Chuck E Cheese
Series: Fighting Cardinal Copia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010082
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. Round One

**Author's Note:**

> No Popes were harmed in the making of this fic. I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia.

You call Cardinal Copia on his cell phone. It is an old Nokia flip phone that he has had for a very long time. It has a keychain with a Grucifix on it, that has many black rhinestones on it. It was a gift from Sister Imperator when Cardinal became Pope.  
"Yellow?" Says the Nega-Pope, the Dark Pope. Cardinal Copia sounds a bit more muffled than usual, and that is because I gave him a fat lip in the last fic.  
"I want to fight you." You say directly, not even pausing for him to really greet you. There is a stunned silence. You hold your resolve, and are about to say it again when he responds.  
"Did Hel give you my number?!" He cries out, obviously frustrated with the fact that now he has to potentially deal with two people who want to fight him. One person was enough. One person was the best at fighting him. He couldn't handle two.   
"Yes," you reply, "And I want to fight you. He said you were easy to beat."

Popia is outraged. How dare Hel tell you that. This was supposed to be a secret between friends and confidants and now YOU of all people know that he was beaten. Well, it should have been obvious. I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia. He tells himself this, and he forgives me for telling you, because obviously I am the best.  
Copia conceeds, letting out a muffled sigh as his fat, juicy lips smack in dissappointment and frustration. He has to do something. He has to figure out a way to keep you from coming to the G Spot and fighting him. If Papa Nihil were still alive (RIP), he would be so disappointed. Copia crosses himself quickly thinking about it, talking to the sky as if he were explaining himself. You interrupt him.  
"Hello? Are you still there? I would still like to fight you." You are very adamant in wanting to fight the Ghost Pope. Copia has very skinny chicken legs and a FAT ASS and would easily fold in half like a lawn chair if you did it just right.   
"Yes! Okay yes, I am still here." He says in his funny little accent. Is he supposed to be Italian? "But you have to do me a favor."  
"What is it?" You ask him. You are growing impatient. He is being silly and stalling while you could be out there attempting to fight him.  
"You have to meet me at the Chuck E Cheese down the street." He doesn't specify which street, but you know exactly which one it is. Now, this is where you mess up. You should have known that Copia is a friend to rats. You said to yourself, Charles Entertainment Cheese is a mouse, not a rat right? You should be fine.   
"Fine," You agree to his terms, "I will meet you down the street at the Chuck E Cheese."  
"Okay, that sounds good." He says, very excited. He knows he's going to win, but he has to double check, "Is uh... is Hel going to be with you?"  
"No." You say, "This is personal. We fight like warriors, one on one."   
"Perfect!" He cries, clapping his gloved hands together. The flip phone is tucked into his shoulder as he does this, "Excellent. I will meet you at the Chuck E Cheese."  
"Okay sounds good. I love you."  
"I love you too, bye bye."

You both hang up, but you have made two gave mistakes.  
1\. You let Copia team up with Charles Entertainment Cheese.  
2\. I was not with you.

The outcome is swift, and not very merciful. You are shamed in front of hundreds of kids, who are not respecting the laws of COVID and have appeared suddenly in this weird Baby's First Gambling establishment. Copia is triumphant over you, and your fighting skills. His power was boosted by Chuck E Cheese, who is so big and hulking when next to the Rat Master, Cardinal Copia, that it is easy to see that you were a fool thinking that you would win. You scold yourself, as you lay on the ground and look up at the dancing Copia. He is dancing around, singing his songs about rats, like the strange man he is. Look at him go. Did he take Ballet? His form is impeccable.

You can only think of one thing when you watch his stunning footwork. You need a friend. A friend who will beat the Rat Man, and his large companion.

You call me.


	2. This Is The Fic Where We Fight Cardinal Copia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You call me and we fight Cardinal Copia and Charles Entertainment Cheese. I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have decided to team up with me to fight Cardinal Copia. This is the smartest decision you have made. No Popes were harmed in the making of this fic.

"Hello?" I answer my cell phone. It is not a Nokia flip phone, but it is an Android Smart Phone with no keychain on it because smart phones are objectively worse for not being able to hang things off of them.  
"I fought Cardinal Copia." You begin to explain, out of breath and sad, but I stop you. I know what happened.  
"You lost." I interject. You sigh, you should have known not to go it alone. "Yes, I lost. We went to Chuck E Cheese."  
"No!" I say, "That is the worst thing you could have done! He and that giant Rat are too powerful together."   
You're stunned. Rat? Did I say Rat? You're confused, and a little hurt, "A rat? Chuck E Cheese is a Rat?" No, your childhood is ruined. You could have sworn he was a mouse. He doesn't even look anything like a rat!   
I pity you, but I am also very proud of you. You were brave for trying to take on Cardinal Copia by yourself, even with the aid of Chuck E Cheese. A tear comes to my eye, and I wipe it away before relaying my pride to you.  
"You made a good attempt to best him, but yes... Chuck E Cheese is a rat that serves pizza to children. His kingdom is that of lies, and betrayal, but I won't let that best you." I grip my fist. I am determined. I know what I must do, "I will meet you far from the Chuck E Cheese so that we may train and we will defeat Copia and Chuck E Cheese."  
You feel hopeful. My words inspire you to pick yourself up off the ground and leave Copia to his silly dancing. He was dancing this whole time, and Chuck E Cheese was giving buckets of grease covered gold coins to sickly, haunted children that live inside of the Chuck E Cheese. You hope that we don't have to fight the children, but understand that may be a very strong possibility.  
"Okay," You nod, standing with your back turned from Copia and Charles Entertainment Cheese, "That sounds good." There is a pause. Will you say it? Will you admit your feelings that you've had this whole time?   
"Goodbye." I hang up. You were not able to say that you love me. You regret this instantly, but know that you missed your chance. Maybe you will try again some day, but who knows. 

For now, you must train.


	3. Training Montage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We train to fight Cardinal Copia and Chuck E Cheese. I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia, but we need help in fighting the giant Rat. We are guided by another Rat Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Popes were harmed in the making of this fic.

You arrive at the location I sent to you on your smart phone. Google Maps has led you to a place that was once a Blockbuster, but now looks to have been transformed into some weird sort of gym. You know, the ones that just suddenly pop up and aren't tied to any chains, and just have a group of sweaty men inside? Very bizarre. 

Anyway, you see me, waiting for you outside of the combination abandoned Blockbuster and makeshift gym. I look so cool. I look like if Jim Hawkins from the Mouse's Treasure Planet was a goth/punk instead of whatever the hell they were going for. Also, my thighs and ass are incredible. You understand now why and how I am able to absolutely decimate Cardinal Copia. I stand at a grand height of 6'0", looking like I am ready to throw down with anyone that even mentions the Popia. But you are in luck, you are not Cardinal Copia and you are not going to mention him unless you need to. You give me a nod, and I nod back to you. That is the only thing we exchange before I push open the door, and allow you inside of the hallowed fighting grounds.

We are not the only ones here at this liminal arena. I have brought a friend with me, and I tell you so.  
"I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia," I say with grand confidence as I take off my sick leather jacket. It is covered in many patches, all of them homosexual and strange; just like me. I continue, "But I must say that Chuck E Cheese is another matter entirely. He has been a foe of mine since childhood, when I was first introduced to insidious practices of introducing gambling to babies." I clench my fist, and grit my teeth. All i wanted to do was to take a ride in the little car that let you take photos of yourself when I was a little kid. That was my favorite thing to do at the Rat's establishment, but no. There were tickets, and prizes, and weird colored spiders that were plastic and see-through that I NEEDED to have. Also several Barbie dolls that I could never have because I wasn't dedicated enough to the craft of ticket collecting, but that's another story entirely.  
You notice I am having a moment of reflection, and wonder just what my relationship with Chuck E Cheese was. How long have I been under his spell? Does he still call to me when I pass his establishment, going into the Spirit Halloween next door? Does his siren call leak into all aspects of my life? Maybe. But for now you'll be left wondering. We have training to do.  
"I have enlisted the help of my friend, JD." I motion to one of my good friends, JD, who has been a keeper of Rats for many years. Fae are flawless, looking like a strung out barista that managed to throw together enough time to make themselves pretty presentable under current conditions. Faer outfit screams to you that they don't get enough sleep, are overworked and underpaid, and under immense amounts of stress, but fae loves helping faer friends. "JD will teach us the ways of going against Charles Entertainment Cheese."

You look perplexed. You wanted to fight Copia, and while this is very nice of JD to take time out of faer schedule to come all this way to this incredibly cursed and really empty gym in the hollowed out corpse of a once beloved rental franchise, you don't understand why faer here.  
"I don't understand," You express to me, "I thought we were going to fight Copia."  
"I'm going to fight Copia." I explain in return, crossing my arms over my chest. My arms are huge. Holy shit, you think to yourself.  
"You, on the other hand", I continue, "Are going to keep Charles distracted. If he is distracted, then Copia is not as powerful. I could best Copia regardless of whether or not he was with Chuck, but this will make it a sure fire win for the both of us."  
You remember getting your ass kicked, and how it felt to be mocked by the strange children in the building. You wonder how long they have been there, and have they had to subsist on nothing more than extremely greasy pizza and sugary sodas for their time being there. This brings up your concern from the last chapter.  
"Do we... have to fight the children as well?" There is a pause between the three of us. I look to JD, JD looks to you, then back to me. I finally look to you.  
"Not if we can help it. This is the reason why we are only distracting Chuck E Cheese and not defeating him. The children only attack under certain circumstances, which includes Chuck E Cheese being defeated." Things are beginning to make sense to you, as much as a haunted Chuck E Cheese next to a Spirit Halloween in the middle of November full of possibly undead children could make sense. You're really good at rolling with the punches, you realize. You're proud of yourself for that. 

The three of us as a group decide now it is the best time to start the training montage. We train to the sickest song I can think of at the moment: The Killer Instinct title track: The Instinct. It has everything. That guitar solo makes everyone want to cry, but we stay strong and make a plan of attack. We are all suddenly overlaid with a filter that makes us look like we're being recorded on a VHS tape. We are getting closer to understanding the origins of the Rat, turning back the hands of the clock to the early 80's when all of this really began. At least, with Chuck E Cheese anyway.   
You look at me, and revel in the way we glisten in the November sunset together. We are now siblings in arms, and we will do everything it takes to take down Cardinal Copia and Chuck E Cheese. You still wish it was you who was taking down Cardinal Copia, but you have come to understand with our training montage that I am the only one who could ever defeat Cardinal Copia. It was like I was born for this task. Your feelings of admiration wash over you once again, and you decide that now is the chance to confess your feelings to me.

"I love you." You proclaim, shy and timid in the wake of my glory.   
There is a moment of silence where we look at each other, and my grey eyes pierce into your very soul. You're so hopeful, for a brief moment, that I will return your admiration... but you are struck down in your prime.  
"I'm sorry," I say, my brows showing tender emotion, "But I cannot return your feelings. I am a taken man, and happily dating the love of my life. But thank you."  
You're shocked, but quickly reconcile. Of course I would be taken. I am too powerful not to be taken. You look back to the vaporwave sunset, and come to realize that your feelings for me were not love to begin with, but a sense of pride and honor to know me. To know the only person capable of taking down Cardinal Copia.

"We will fight him, and we will win." You say, now full of a brand new determination.


	4. The Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time is nigh, the stage has begun to set. The fighters gather, while questions are answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still the best at fighting Cardinal Copia. No Popes were harmed in the making of this fic.

After bidding farewell to my good friend and rat wrangler, JD, we hop into my Jeep Wangler. It is the car I've always wanted and deserve to have, and so long as I am writing these stories that is the car I will have. You are impressed by my incredibly gay car, and know that I am a person who knows what they are about. You feel your unrequited love bubbling back to the surface, but know and understand that I am dating the love of my life. But who is that? Who is the one who has taken me for their own?

"Hel," You ask me, "Who are you dating? Is it... Copia?" There is music coming from the Radio. It's my Fall Feelings 2020 playlist on Spotify. Currently, the song playing is Pink Phantom by Gorillaz. Elton John sings sorrowfully about Atlanta as I give you a casual glance. My one hand is on the wheel, and the other resting on the open window of my kick ass Jeep Wrangler.  
"No." My answer is immediate. Did I know you were going to ask that question? Maybe. "And I'm not dating Chuck E Cheese either. The Rat has his own partner in crime, and has nothing to do with our squabbles today." What a weird way to phrase that answer, you say, but perhaps I am a man of privacy, and of honor. The notion of me being an honorable man has you sitting in silence, cushioned by the embrace of 2D and Elton John musing morosely of summer gone by. November has come.

We pull up to the Chuck E Cheese, and park like responsible people. We both step out of the vehicle, knowing what is going to happen. I pull up Copia's number on my phone, and you see that I have a very silly photo of him stored in my phone as his ID. I call it, turning away from you and looking at the doors of the Chuck E Cheese. Your gaze follows mine, and you notices that there are the children from before waiting inside with their greasy hands pressed up against the windows and doors. Of all the things to scare you, you didn't imagine it would be an army of potentially undead children inside of a Chuck E Cheese. You tell yourself that it reminds you of a painting. A famously haunted painting. The Hands Resist him. We are the children standing outside of the paned door, and they are the hands that Resist. 

"Okay, I will see you here in five minutes. Do not coward out on me, Copia." You hear me say, bringing you back to reality. Thank goodness for that too, since you were becoming a little bit more than scared being here on your own. Where was Chuck? Was he inside with all the children? Were the children his watchdogs? What a terrifying thing to think about, you think.  
"Okay, I love you. Bye." I hang up the phone and turn to you. You hear me say those three words and you frown. What did Copia have that you didn't? Was it that you were not so easily beaten by me? Would you know if you were to be easily bested by me? With my sick jacket and boots, you fear toying with the idea. You're pretty sure that making a fight with me happen would end up in nothing but misery. This wasn't about me anyway. This was about you extracting revenge on Copia and Chuck E Cheese.

"I'm scared." You say, admitting your feelings to me for the second time in this story. I nod, understanding. I do not smoke anymore, but if I did, I would be pulling out a cigarillo and lighting that up. But no, instead I pull out a lollipop and stick that in my mouth instead. You suddenly crave a lollipop, and somehow I know this. I pull out another lollipop, which happens to be a mystery flavor. Somehow, the stars align and it is your favorite flavor of candy. You're stunned, impressed even.  
"I know." I tell you, my voice reassuring, "But we have this. So long as you keep Chuck E Cheese distracted like JD taught you, I will handle Cardinal Copia. There is nothing to fear with our powers combined."  
They're right, you say to yourself, we had that kickass training montage, and that means we will win. We are the protagonists of this story. 

The crowd of children inside of the Chuck E Cheese begin to part, and it becomes clear that the Rat is making his way to the front doors. You are nervous, but you remember what JD told you. Their words are clear as day:  
"The will of the rat can be tamed, the cage of his body placated."

Like holy shit dude, that shit is profound.


	5. Round Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You fight Chuck E Cheese and win. You are the Greatest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No popes were harmed in the making of this fic.

You have been waiting long enough, and thankfully Cardinal Copia approaches on his famous tricycle. He peddled his way all the way from the G Spot just to throw down one more time. It's no wonder his legs look the way they do with all that furious peddling he does. The feeling in the air shifts as all the pieces of the final puzzle put themselves into place, and Copia dismounts from his beloved trike. The children inside of the Chuck E Cheese part, and a gentle fog flows from inside of the building. Did they really install a fog machine for this final fight? You think that they must have really thought this out while you and Hel were doing your training together. This will be the greatest battle this Chuck E. Cheese has ever seen. 

Hel moves towards the approaching combatants, and you're like 'holy shit I better keep up'. So you do. We both leave the comfort of my very sexy, very powerful and homoerotic Jeep Wrangler and hold our ground against the Rat Master, and his Rat. 

"Shit." I say, which makes you feel very uneasy, "I wasn't expecting this. Chuck is making this personal." At first you're confused. Why wouldn't I have predicted what this fight was going to be like? Wasn't I the best at fighting Cardinal Copia? I point in the direction of the Rat, and it becomes abundantly clear to you just what I mean. Chuck E Cheese has decided to wear one of his most powerful costumes: the costume of nostalgia. His form has taken that of the early 90's, in the familiar purple and green jersey that so many know him for, and his geometric design covered basketball shorts. With his baseball cap squared firmly upon his head, his unending smile is the tightest fucking thing you've seen since 1999. He looks so chill and determined, you know it will be hard to distract him when he's already so distracting. Look at those half-lidded bedroom eyes. You may as well be done for. 

"So! You have come crawling back!" Copia announces, putting the kickstand of his trike up so that his already free standing mode of transportation can stand free. He extends his arms to us, looking smug as he possibly can with a face made of rubber. "Hel, I know you can beat me, but can you beat Chuck E Cheese?"

There's a visible change in my demeanor at the mention of this battle with Chuck E Cheese. You're stunned. How could someone so cool and gay be intimidated by a man in a pizza rat fursuit? Was there some lingering emotions from my past that I wasn't ready to deal with? Is that why you were trusted with the task of distracting the rat? Should... should you go about defeating him instead? To prove that you are worthy of Hel's admiration? No. That would be going against the plan, and you just wanted to defeat Cardinal Copia for the last time. You needed to win this battle, so that you may finally rest. 

"That's for you to find out." I am quick to respond, and I look at you with trust and compassion. You understand instantly what this means, and are ready to pull out all the stops to hold the line between me, and the dastardly Rat. 

"We will take you down!" You say confidently, looking at your hulking, and very dope looking, opponent: Charles Entertainment Cheese. There is laughter that radiates in the air, but it's not from either you or me. It comes from the dreaded rat himself. The laugh sounds cruel, fake, and digital. Almost as if a vintage laugh track were pouring out from the gaping plastic maw of the beast. Seemingly out of no where, Chuck E Cheese procures a box from the ether. It's bright pink.

I scream. I cover my eyes and I sink to the ground in hysterics. Cardinal Copia begins to laugh, and you are left in confusion. Thankfully, the Cardinal is quick to explain.

"THIS!" He proclaims, gesturing to the box in the Rat's hands. Chuck E Cheese is now displaying the pink and white box as if it were a showcase item on the Home Shopping Network, "THIS my friends, is the 1995 Chuck E Cheese BARBIE." At those words, I begin to weep. It was the Barbie I always wanted as a kid, and never could get. It's the Barbie that has plagued me to this day. Her perfect hair, her stunning jean jacket, her white Chuck E Cheese shirt that showed just the perfect amount of midriff... it was over. The one thing that time had forgotten, had come back to resurface in the sticky, furry hands of the beast himself. 

"No!" You proclaim.  
"Yes!" Copia responds, "It is the very thing that has haunted Hel to this day! He will never forgive himself! And now he must pay!" You crouch down to console me but find that I am completely inconsolable. You are left on your own now so long as that Barbie is held aloft to tempt me. 

You know now what you must do.

You stand up, firm and tall while Copia cackles manically and dances around Chuck. He's so certain that he has won, that he has no idea what you are going to prepare in order to defeat the Rat. You remember what JD taught you, and for a moment you relive the training montage in your mind. You begin to dance. 

Instantly Chuck E Cheese begins to shriek. He knows exactly what that dance is, and is trained to fear every step of it. What is the dance you ask, reading this as an audience? It is the entirety of the musical, Cats. You stun and amaze everyone around you, and somehow in the span of five minutes you are able to convey all of the complicated and sexual emotions of the 1998 classic recording of the Broadway musical, Cats. It is a very passionate and moving performance. Even though I absolutely detest musicals, I am drawn to stare at your solo performance of Cats with awe and wonder. 

The Rat, this whole time, has begun to swoon and stumble, losing his grip on the 1995 Chuck E Cheese Barbie that vexes me to this day. Eventually, he faints, only to be held in the loving arms of Cardinal Copia, who has begun to weep. Not only is he weeping from the intense emotional rollercoaster of your aggressive and powerful dancing, but also from the fact that his dear friend has fallen in front of his very eyes. They hold a touching moment with each other, rubber faced man staring at rubber faced Rat. Do they dare kiss? No. Chuck E Cheese is taken by a wonderful man, and would not dare go against the love of his life. He does, however, mutter some powerful words to his Rat Master friend. 

"I love you."  
"I love you too, bye bye." And with Copia's tearful farewell, Chuck E Cheese is put into a deep slumber. It's kind of hard to tell because his eyes are still open, but there's a snoring that comes from inside of the suit. The Children inside first are outraged, but come to realize that their rat friend is only sleeping. They calm themselves, opening the doors and once again emitting fog into the parking lot of the Chuck E Cheese. Hundreds of tiny hands take hold of the Rat, and eagerly bring him back inside so that he may rest. He needs to rebuild his strength so that he may tend to the many children inside of the walls of the Chuck E Cheese. It is his forever duty for years and years to come. 

Copia is heartbroken. He too is now on the ground, crying and a mess. His black liner drips over the wrinkles of his fake face as he grieves over the loss of his dear friend. You, however, stand tall catching your breath in your final pose. Even though there is only me and Cardinal Copia around you, in your ears you hear the chorus of a thousand hands clapping in recognition of your powerful defeat of the mighty Chuck E Cheese. In that ghostly audience, JD is giving you a standing ovation. Faer so proud of you. Everyone is so proud of you. Even I, as cold and steely has I have come off, bask in your eternal glory. 

You are victorious over Chuck E Cheese.


	6. Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to and end. And always remember, I am the best at fighting Cardinal Copia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit:
> 
> There has been a grave error made in the previous chapters and iterations. All instances and mentions of Cardinal Copia's trike will now be retconned in your mind to reflect this tricycle from Coleco https://64.media.tumblr.com/e1d02cdaaacb8408f5d18741893887d4/c75a87076c61992d-73/s1280x1920/0be6dcebed5d5dc1532a5dc1178e66e0a8cc461e.jpg
> 
> I apologize for my grave error in not including this sooner.

In the afterglow of your resounding triumph over Charles Entertainment Cheese, you have come to find something amiss. Things just... no longer feel right, and you look over at me and Copia struggling to get back to our feet. In performing the entirety of the hit musical Cats, you have come to the conclusion that all of this fighting is, well, a bit silly. 

You state this.  
"I think all this fighting is a bit silly." You announce, with a clearer head on your shoulders. I look at you, stunned and appalled. We had spent so much time together, so many hours rehearsing all the steps and turns, leaps and songs of Cats that it made no sense to back down now.

"What do you mean?" I practically beg of you. You look to me, and realize what you once admired about me you have begun to pity. My tenacity, my boldness, my sick leather jacket and now my precious Limited Edition Chuck E Cheese Barbie... all meant nothing. I was simply a bully, who couldn't leave well enough alone. You frown at me.

"Hel, my dear friend, we don't need to fight Copia. We all know that you are the best at fighting him, and there is no need to prove that anymore. I don't need to prove that I can best him, and I am okay with accepting my win over Chuck E Cheese." You state this with pride, and a sense of resolution. You have finally come to realize what you wanted out of all of this. You have come to realize that the pursuit of defeating Cardinal Copia was just a farce and a distraction from what you really craved: self absolution. You are at peace with yourself, and you express this by helping not only me up from the ground, but Cardinal Copia as well. 

Cardinal Copia is stunned, and he stares at you behind his rubber face and black makeup in a look of pure awe and respect. You may not have defeated him in combat, but you sure have defeated him with your kindness. Gently, he begins to weep.

"Thank you." He whispers, gripping onto your shoulders with gloved hands. A soft rain begins to fall on all of us as emotions swell. Copia blinks, sniffing and trembling as the cold of November sinks into his clothes, "I really thought I was going to get my ass handed to me again tonight, but you have shown me compassion I have never truly known. I... I won't forget this." You feel a great bond forming between you and Copia. It is something grander than any triumph violence and combat could have ever given you. There is a moment of silence between you, and then you share a tender embrace. You hug as the gentle rain continues to patter down on the both of you, the orange lights of the street lamps casting an ethereal glow upon you. 

Eventually you pull away, and realize that there is something amiss. I am now sitting in my Jeep Wrangler, staring off into the night. As you draw closer, you see that I have buckled Chuck E Cheese Barbie into the passenger's seat. You understand, that I understand, that you will not be coming back with me. I look to you, and you look to me. In this moment, we are finally equals. A nod passes between us, and I turn on my Jeep with a thrum.

"I'm proud of you." I say, with a bit of remorse in my voice, "You are stronger than any of us."

You shake your head.  
"This isn't about strength, Hel. This is about compassion, and love. I hope that one day you too will be able to love Cardinal Copia, instead of fighting him."   
Surprisingly, I laugh, and look at you from the inside of my Jeep Wrangler.

"I do love him," I admit to you, "Which is why I have to fight him. I have to keep him in check. Without me, he would go mad with power and end up like the other Papas. But I understand. We walk different paths, and I respect that."

You don't even begin to try to understand what I mean, but you nod anyway. We share a long stare, our eyes locking in the heat of passion and commiseration. I then hold my right hand up, and you are quick to take it in a fierce grip. We are siblings in arms, to the end.

"You stay safe out there." I tell you, putting my car into drive. "And if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

With that, I drive off into the night. You wonder if one day you will ever understand me, but you highly doubt it. 

You fought Cardinal Copia, and while you didn't win in the normal sense, the friendship you made along the way was victory in itself. 

The End.


End file.
